Beyond the Headlines: Davos 2026

1. The Illusion of the Center

As the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos came to a close, media coverage largely focused on familiar narratives: Western political tensions, the disruptive impact of the Trump administration’s agenda, and renewed anxiety over the future of the rules-based international order.

Yet, this framing captures only part of the story. While much of the Global North remains preoccupied with the fragmentation of legacy alliances, the Global South used the summit to signal a profound shift: from seeking aid to owning assets, from managed dependency to strategic leverage.

Though the WEF is an elite, invitation-only forum, the 2026 gathering brought together nearly 3,000 participants, including over 60 heads of state and more than 850 CEOs, across 200+ sessions on global issues ranging from economic cooperation to frontier technologies. Beyond mainstream politics, Global South actors leveraged panels and side events to advance discussions on industrial strategy, AI and digital infrastructure, and financial innovation, demonstrating that even within an exclusive space, ideas and knowledge can be translated into strategic agency.

At Davos, these transitions were often framed in the technical language of investment flows and public-private partnerships, but their implications are deeply political. They mark a rebalancing of power and agenda-setting in a world no longer centered on a single hegemonic axis.

2. Asserting Strategic Sovereignty

While mainstream media highlighted Western-centric narratives, Davos 2026 also offered side events where Global South actors demonstrated tangible strategic agency.

Industrial Agency: African leaders and other Global South representatives emphasized moving beyond raw material extraction toward value addition. Panels on critical minerals, trade resilience, and regional integration highlighted projects like the Lobito Corridor, designed to link resource production with regional processing and logistics. The corridor is projected to handle millions of tons of minerals annually and create thousands of local jobs, demonstrating how industrial strategy serves both economic and sovereign goals. Similar initiatives in Indonesia and Morocco, with investments in battery and refinery capacity, illustrate a broader trend: resource sovereignty is inseparable from industrial strategy.

AI and Digital Infrastructure: Discussions on Artificial Intelligence focused on uneven adoption and its potential to exacerbate global inequality. While the term “Sovereign AI” was not widely used, leaders from Asia, Africa, and other emerging economies stressed the importance of local data centers, domestic AI models, and digital infrastructure tailored to regional contexts. For instance, IMF analysis shared at Davos indicated that 40% of jobs globally, and 60% in advanced economies, will be transformed by AI, while generative AI adoption was 25% in the Global North versus 14% in the South, underscoring the urgency of building local capacity.

Financial Innovation and Resilience: Panels on stablecoins, tokenization, and cross-border payments explored how digital infrastructure can increase financial inclusion, reduce reliance on fragile banking systems, and enable rapid crisis response. Startups such as Rahat (Nepal), Ensuro (Kenya), and ATEC Global (Cambodia) exemplified this shift, demonstrating how USDC and open digital infrastructure can deliver climate insurance, disaster relief, and energy access.

Collectively, these discussions reveal that Davos hosts far more than mainstream headlines suggest. It is a platform where knowledge, expertise, and practical ideas can be exchanged and tested.

3. From Dialogue to Grounded Action

While headlines focused on Western politics, Davos 2026 enabled the Global South to gain from dialogue, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of innovative ideas.

The WEF is not a binding institution, but its true power lies in exposing participants to ideas, expertise, and networks that can be applied locally. Insights on industrial policy, digital infrastructure, and financial technology can and should be translated into tangible actions that strengthen resilience, autonomy, and strategic agency.

The broader implication is clear: the Global South must turn external pressures into opportunities for its people. By proactively shaping economic and technological pathways through industrial value chains, AI sovereignty, and innovative finance, countries can define multipolar development strategies that reflect local priorities and capacities.

4. Conclusion

The real story of Davos 2026 lies not in mainstream headlines but in how Global South actors leveraged the forum’s knowledge, networks, and ideas to assert agency. From industrial value chains to AI infrastructure and innovative finance, participating countries are shaping multipolar pathways of development that reflect their own priorities.

While mainstream media often misses this narrative, the true measure of Davos will be how effectively these insights are implemented on the ground.

References

1. Associated Press. (2026, January 19). What to know about the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/switzerland-davos-wef-meeting-1feace8e9520b84f42270bc65f78c8f4

2. McCallion, P. (2026, January 23). Africa at Davos 2026: Young population provides a bright outlook. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/africa-future-young-population/

3. Reuters. (2026, January 23). Five takeaways from Davos 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/davos/five-takeaways-davos-2026-2026-01-23/

4. Wearden, G. (2026, January 23). Davos: ECB’s Lagarde plays down fears of ‘rupture’ in world order, as IMF’s Georgieva warns of AI ‘tsunami’ hitting jobs market – live updates. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/23/davos-world-economic-outlook-lagarde-georgieva-ai-okonjo-iweala-ecb-imf-wto-business-live-updates